Definition
王侯 refers to ancient Chinese feudal titles — 王 (king/prince) and 侯 (marquis) — and by extension the entire noble class. This compound appears in historical narratives and idioms, often contrasting the privileged life of nobility with that of commoners, as in 王侯将相宁有种乎 ('Are kings, nobles, generals, and ministers born to their status?').
n.
prince and marquis (specific noble titles)the nobilitythe ruling elite (as a class)
Examples
- 王侯。Gǔdài wáng hóu de zǐsūn dàduō jìchéng juéwèi.In ancient times, descendants of princes and marquises mostly inherited titles.
- ，王侯。Lìshǐ shàng xǔduō yīngxióng chūshēn píngmín, hòulái chéng le wáng hóu.Many heroes in history were born commoners and later became nobility.
- 王侯。Shū zhōng miáoxiě le wáng hóu zhījiān de quánlì dòuzhēng.The book depicts power struggles among the nobility.
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